Renowned activist Nawara Negm beaten at Maspero

19/01/2012 05:01:01

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Nawara Negm, activist, was attacked last night at the hands of 25 men in Maspero.

“I finished work at Maspero and crossed the street for a cab to find a young man calling my name and attacked me with the help of 25 so-called men,” said Nawara by phone to TV anchor Mahmoud Saad on Al-Nahar TV. "There was a pro-army protest in front of Maspero ... they are the same men who attacked me." added Nawara, daughter of renowned leftist poet Ahmed Fouad Negm.

A video circulated on YouTube shows the activist being beaten by a group of men and insulted by women. “Why are you beating her,” asked a voice in the video. “She’s one of those promoting strife between the people and the army,” another voice replied.

TV host and activist Hala Fahmy stated on her official Facebook page that she had seen “army soldiers change into civilian clothes before they attacked Nawara”. Fahmy resigned from state TV in the early days of the January 25 Revolution in protest against propaganda promoted by Egyptian TV against protesters.

Negm stated she was beaten in the presence of army forces who didn’t move at the sight of her being attacked and police forces who "were guiding the so-called men on how to beat me.” “I have to say their beating was harmless. I call for our army to send snipers next time,” she said.

Negm described her attackers as “poor" and that "probably someone pushed them to do that.” Negm was rescued by two young men who were also beaten.

“The problem is not about attacking a woman; it’s about organised incitement against protesters through the media. We never took it seriously, but obviously they do have an influence, and I will sue them.”

The activist, along with Sheikh Mazhar Shaheen and Tarek El-Kholy, has been accused of inciting violence against the armed forces on 16 December. They deny all accusations.